Bethany Defeats Clinton in a Thriller to Advance to the State Championship Game
Warr Acres, OK - If you are one of the many Broncho fans who attended the Class 4A State Semi-Final Football game against Clinton this past week you witnessed a game for the ages. A double overtime, 31-30 victory, to send Bethany to their second State Championship game in school history. The Bronchos started the game very fast jumping out to a 21-0 lead. Jackson Howard started the barrage with a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play of the game. This would be followed by two three & outs by the Bethany defense and two more touchdowns by the Bronchos, both touchdown runs by Quarterback Sam Brandt.
But the tradition of the Clinton Red Tornadoes and their state record of 18 Football State Championships was not going to go away that easy. Clinton answered with a 93 yard touchdown run, the only major big play given up by the Broncho defense on the night to make it a 21-7 deficit. After another stop by Clinton they would put another touchdown on the board with just 45 seconds left in the first half to go into halftime down just 21-14.
Out of halftime the game turned into a defensive struggle. Clinton managed the only scoring drive of the second half on a short field after getting the ball on the Bethany 45 yard line and taking 13 plays to score. The 21-21 game saw two other great holds by the Bethany defense late in the game as the field position was in Clinton's favor almost the entire half. The defenses continued to play well into the first overtime as both teams had to settle for field goals. Bethany was on offense second and it was a Jackson Howard kick that tied the game at 24 to send the game into double overtime.
In double overtime the Clinton defense had a huge sack on first down and by the time it got to fourth down Bethany was out of field goal range on the 26 yard line. But the Bronchos pulled off another spectacular play with Brandt throwing it into the endzone and Lawson Stout coming down with the ball to give Bethany a 31-24 lead after Howard's PAT. The Broncho defense played well on first and second down and had Clinton in 3rd & Goal from the 14 yard line before Clinton had a little magic of their own, as they scored to make the game 31-30. Tragically for the Red Tornadoes the PAT kick would be wide left as Bethany's tall field goal block duo of Silas Carmack and Peyton Tolle broke through the line.
The 31-30 win sends Bethany to the Class 4A State Championship game where they will have a re-match with Tuttle, who defeated Bethany 30-7 in week six of this season. The State Championship game will take place on Friday, November 30 at Yukon High School where Bethany.